Light Fades Fast

What was wrong with that stallion? Strya thought bitterly to herself. No pony has ever seen me before their time let alone some street peddling earth pony! She skirted the clouds below her hooves and gracefully descended back into the city. Her heart sunk when she saw the building she was headed towards. This orphanage again. She glanced down at the scythe but it only vibrated harder confirming her fears, her query was here.

The worn out stone structure had seen better times to be sure. Its lovingly detailed masonry embellished the work of many master craftsman. And yet, time had taken a toll as the stones were darkened with age and much detail work had crumbled with lack of repair. With each step towards the great wooden doors Strya felt her determination returning. Silently she stepped inside.

The orphanage’s dark interior revealed Strya’s premonitions. All pervasive around her was the foul stench of filth and disease. Several mice scattered around the chipping brick floor laden with a sundry assortment of trash. She shuddered as she entered the familiar packed dormitory. Rows and rows of fillies and colts lined the beds around her. Some coughed while others tossed and turned but none stirred as Strya passed. Finally Strya reached the bed she was looking for. A very young magenta earth pony filly lay on the bed coughing violently and shivering with fever chills. Beside her slept an older peach colt, her brother more than likely. Sighing Strya awoke the young filly.

Bleary eyed the filly gazed up at her. “Yeah? Hey who are you miss? You’re so pretty! Did you come to adopt us? I’ll wake Sundance, he’ll be so happy!” The pony tried to nuzzle her brother awake but he didn’t stir. Turning back to Strya with fearful eyes, “What’s wrong? Why can’t I wake him up?”

Strya gently nuzzled the small filly and whispered into her mane, “Because I came just for you Sun Blossom. It’s not Sundance’s time, but yours.”

“Time, time for what?” Blossom’s voice shook with uncertainty.

“Time for you to leave this unpleasant place, to where your parents are.”

“But, I don’t want to leave, not yet. Sundance and I are going to go away to Canterlot together. He promised!”

“Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, promises must be broken.”

Blossom began to cry and Strya laid a wing across the filly’s back. “Your parents told me of their promise to always be beside you two. When I came for them, they were so sad to break their word but they understood and came with me. Now you must be brave as they were. It is your time Blossom.”

“Where will I be going? Is it a scary place?”

“I do not know where. But I understand that it is a most wonderful place.”

Blossom sniffed, “Alright. I will go. But will it hurt?”

“No, child you won’t feel anything. Now I must cut your ties with this place and you will be set free.” Strya lifted the scythe and with a quick movement it ran through the filly. The scythe passed through Blossom as though she were a cloud, causing no mark nor injury. Lifeless the little filly’s body slumped onto the bed. Strya watched as a bright light shot up from the body and soared beyond the stone walls into the moonlit night.

“Goodbye friend, and may your journey be a pleasant one.” Quickly Strya glided out of the orphanage and flew off once again into the darkness. She had much more work to do that night.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Lsy awoke to an unearthly clatter just above his head. He jumped up so suddenly that he hit the boards, sending pain shooting down his neck. Clumsily he pulled himself out from underneath the stand and faced the disturber of his peace. A burly blue unicorn pulling a cart of pots and pans stood next to Lsy glowering. The source of the ungodly noise was a pan he was mercilessly banging on the stone wall with magic. “Stop it already Brev! You want to drive the whole street crazy?”

Ceasing his abuse of kitchen ware the unicorn regarded Lsy. “Well…I wouldn’t have ta be bangin’ if you'd got your skinny butt up when you was surposed ta and met me by the fountain. What up with you anywho? A pony goes out of his good way ta help a guy make a livin’ and he don’t even show up on time? Talk about gratitude!”

Lsy looked at the ground apologetically, pawing some snow aside. “Sorry Brev, really sorry. I was a little distracted last night.”

“A little distracted ay? I’d say you’d have ter be more than a little distracted to forget good ol’ Brev!” Brev stopped his outburst at the now distracted expression on Lsy’s face. Ginning slyly he stepped closer to Lsy. “Ah ha ha… So all this time I bin’ worryin’ for nothin'. Say who is she anywho? Must ta been some beauty to get you all misty eyed and pinin’!”

“Whaaa! No! No! You’ve got the wrong idea Brev. It wasn’t that…” Lsy face turned red and he looked down again, pawing more energetically now.

“Awe. You don’t have ta be shy ‘bout it Lsy. Boy but she must be somthin’ ta catch yer fancy. You can tell me all ‘bout her later. Let’s get goin’ before there’s no pony left ta’ sell to.”

With that Brev used his magic to lift Lsy’s box of candles from the ground and onto the cart. “Come on then Lsy or I’ll be takin’ yer earnin’s home meself!” With that he set off at a trot, Lsy cantering to keep up with the unicorn’s massive strides.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The main street was packed with activity when they arrived. The sides of the streets were lined with hawkers trying to barter their wares for “unbelievably low prices.” The majority of ponies were pushing their way through the crowd trying to get through the constipated mass without losing track of their family. In every tiny opening their seemed to be at least two street urchin colts or fillies trying to steal or connive their way to a meal. The snow had long since been packed down revealing a dirty, stinking, slurry that found its’ way onto everything and every pony it touched. The noise was deafening as they pushed their way to a narrow side street.

Though the marketplace was in large part a free for all, some semblance of order remained for the various branch streets that stemmed around the center. Smithy Street was the central hub for everyday household goods and tended to a slightly quieter atmosphere as less bargaining was done. Finally Brev stopped the cart outside his favorite spot between the basket weaver’s and cooper’s stands. Lsy sighed in relief as they settled into position. He hated the marketplace and would normally avoid coming here at all. However, there was no one to sell to on his lonely street and thus he had to adapt.

“Well look who’s late for the show today?” A wizened green pegasus turned to Brev from the weaver’s stand.

“Well Clover, I wouldn’t have been late if this ‘ere rascal hadn’t kept me from gettin’ here on time! Been pinin’ over a new love of his.”

“I have not!” Lsy glared at Brev. “The storm kept me up, that’s it.”

Smiling the pegasus turned to Lsy, “Ah, Lsy it’s good to see you my boy. Been a week or so hasn’t it? How’s business on the West end?”

“Slow as always I’m afraid to admit. I didn’t sell a single candle yesterday and only sold a box worth all week.”

Brev glowered at Lsy, “Well that’s what ya get for sellin’ out in the sticks Lsy. Shoulda’ come back days ago. And don't come late! Honestly”

“I’m sorry it won’t happen again. I promise. So why don’t you drop it?”

Brev snorted and turned his attention to his cart. The day proceeded by very slowly. Brev had the worst of it, his wares costing more to make he was forced to sell them at a higher cost. It was the rare pony indeed that could afford the luxury of a new skillet or pot. Brev instead relied on repair jobs, which at least some ponies could manage. Clover was ever popular and his fine craftsmanship with baskets had earned him a popularity that continued despite the economic downturn of the city. Lsy knew for a fact that any profit the old pony made would go straight to the orphanage. Clover was so very fond of the younger generation.

Lsy tried to remain cheerful but his mind kept drifting back to her. Strya, just who was she anyway? Had she been a figment of his imagination or something else? He decided to broach the subject with Clover during a lull. “Say you’ve lived a very long time. In all your years have you ever heard the saying about the pale horse?”

“Well now…” Clover fumbled with his baskets then smiled, remembering. “Yes I have but I was just a little colt at the time. Ah, it was so very long ago it makes me sad. One sunny day I stood by my mother’s side and watched a funeral procession for a wealthy city official. I remember asking my mother what happened to the official. Even then I thought her answer was very strange.” He stared into Lsy’s eyes.

“She told me, ‘The pale mare came to take her away. She comes for us all when it is our time. Someday she’ll come for you too.’ I wanted to ask her more but I didn’t. So Lsy, that’s my story. It isn’t much I grant you.” The old pony smiled sadly at Lsy, stealing a quick glance at the stallion’s promise mark. “We had best get back to work. Some ponies are coming that might just need us…”

So that saying was true. I really must have seen the very shadow of death. Lsy thought to himself as he passed some candles to an elderly unicorn couple both with blank flanks. Then another thought occurred to him. But what about her mark? She had one just like me. And yet, every one of these ponies is without one, even the elder ponies.There has to be more to this. There is no way that my mark could have appeared by accident, is there? “Argh! I don’t get it!”

“I don’t get it neither...Yer darn near the craziest stallion I ever met. Watcha doin’ shoutin’ an’ scarin' away all our good customers!"

Lsy flushed and went back to work. Wondering if some pony, any pony knew the answers to his questions.

At long last, sunset spread over the crowded streets. One by one the merchants closed up their carts and stands and hurried back home. Lsy helped Brev pack up and they set off down the filth- laden road once more. Lsy galloped up to stand beside Brev, “Say I have a question for you if you’ll hear me out.”

“Sure as long as it taint’ a stupid one.”

“You’ve known me since I was a little colt so I want you to answer truthfully now. I used to ask you all the time and you always ignored the question. So I’m asking you now, as one friend to another. Why is it that I am the only pony to have a promise mark in this entire city? I’m not some kind of chosen sacrifice or something am I?”

Brev turned to Lsy eyes wide, “Well look at you gettin’ all high and mighty. Lsy the ‘chosen one’ my hoof! Yer’ just a scrawny little colt that always stuck ‘round me like a little brother. Ya ain’t nothin’ special, ya got that?” Looking at Lsy’s frustrated and hurt face he continued, “But as to why ya got a mark and no pony else did I dunno. Maybe ‘cause yer the biggest goody two hooves this side of Equestria? Mah parents always used ter’ say that ya was just a touch weird, like some fool unicorn put a spell on ya. But I never did cotton to that. Well...maybe yer a touch weird, but yer the good kind of weird. So don’t go doin’ nothin’ ya might regret! Ya got it?”

“Thanks Brev. I guess I shouldn’t get my head stuck in the clouds like that. I’m just a simple candle maker after all, nothing more.” They continued in silence until they reached Lsy’s stand.

Brev set down the now much lighter box of candles, “Say Lsy, don’t ya think it’s about time ya built a cart of yer own and get rid of that there stand? I’d fix ya up right, teach ya how. That way we could sell together more often. What do ya say to that eh?”

“Thanks Brev. I might just have to take you up on that.” Looking at the worn out stand with peeling paint he frowned, “Might be a bit bigger project than you think Brev!”

Brev chuckled and smiled. “Yer probably right. But it’ll be worth it. See ya around scrawny!” With that Brev trotted off down the street whistling an indistinct tune.

What am I going to do now? Lsy stared sadly at the street around him. Brev just doesn’t get it does he? There has to be a reason ponies here have no marks and I intend to find out what it is. The only pony who might know is Strya and she doesn’t exactly seem the talkative sort. Ah well, tomorrow I’ll check the library and see what comes up.